“Of all the sights I love in this world – and there are plenty – very near the top of the list is this one: dogs without leashes,” wrote poet and dog lover Mary Oliver. We expect she would have been enthralled by this new More4 series, with its glorious rural landscapes and dogs having the time of their lives in the great outdoors.

As a property expert and longstanding presenter of Location, Location, Location, Phil Spencer is no stranger to dashing from one end of the UK to the other. But this fun three-episode series sees him travelling by foot along some of the famous Coast to Coast path, which stretches from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire. It’s a legendary route and one of the most popular long-distance walks in Great Britain, weaving its way through the stunning scenery of the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors.

Let’s meet some of the show’s celebrity pups...

Meet Luna

Spencer makes an affable host for this epic journey, taking in the sights and uncovering local history, but he’s often upstaged by his co-host Luna, the German Pointer puppy he adopted last year. Hey, it might be Spencer’s name in the show title, but Luna is the real MVP.

Meet Alf

On each leg of their journey, Luna and Spencer are joined by a different four-footed celebrity guest and their owner. In episode 1, we get to know an iconic duo: bulldog Alf and Mark Billingham from SAS: Who Dares Wins. Tenacious, muscular and adventurous, Alf sets a great example for his owner, taking the physical challenge of the Lake District terrain in his stride. During their hike, Billingham also shares how he turned his life around, from knife fights on the streets of Walsall to becoming a decorated military leader in the SAS.

Meet Hatti and Bramble

Luna and Spencer also share some of the Coast to Coast footpaths with a gold-winning team: Hatti, Bramble and Libby Clegg. A sweet-natured and conscientious guide dog, Hatti is – quite literally – an inspiration; blind Paralympian sprinter Clegg wrote about their relationship in My Life With Hatti, published in 2021. Though Hatti still lives with Clegg, she has since retired from full-time duty. Both she and her successor, Bramble, join Clegg, Spencer and Luna for part of the journey.

Meet Nala

Nala might be part of a busy working household (including Phantom the cat and a flock of Kelly Bronze turkeys), but the Mayhew rescue is undeniably top dog at JB Gill’s farm in Kent. She helps owner, pop star turned farmer JB Gill, run the place, despite some differences of opinion with Ginger the pig, and, by all accounts, being hopeless at herding.

When is Phil Spencer’s Great British Dog Walks on TV?

The three-part series begins on Thursday 25 May at 9pm on More4 and will be available to stream afterwards on Apps & Games > Channel 4.